1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a machine for automatically winding flexible tape-like articles, such as surface fasteners, slide fastener chains and ornamental tapes, and more particularly to an automatic winding machine for flexible tape-like articles, which is provided with a mechanism for efficiently securing a leading end of the tape-like article on a spool body.
2. Prior Art
The conventional automatic winding machine is disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Publication of Unexamined Application No. S61-263574. According to the winding apparatus, a spool includes a hollow cylinder body having an opening defined in the annular periphery wall of the spool body. The axial hole in the spool body is circumstanced to be under negative pressure to create a suction force acting around the cylinder body. The leading end of the tape-like article is sucked toward the opening and adhered to the annular wall of the spool body to wind the tape-like article on the spool body. The mechanical holding means includes a row of locking needles movably mounted in the hollow portion so as to selectively project outwardly beyond the annular wall through the opening of the spool body to be threaded through the leading end of the tape-like article at the start of winding the tape-like article around the spool body.
According to the winding apparatus, the trough-like guide member is provided adjacent to and above the spool body in perpendicular relation to the axis of the spool body to introduce the leading end of the flexible tape-like article onto the spool body. The leading end of the flexible tape-like article guided by the guide member and fed continuously is hung from the tip end of the guide member toward the peripheral surface of the spool body and then is locked on the spool body by the suction force to wind automatically the flexible tape-like article on the spool thereafter.
With the tape-like article winding apparatus disclosed in the above Japanese Patent Publication, since the leading end of the tape-like article is held on the spool body without the time-consuming manual operation, the tape-like article may be efficiently wound on the spool having large flanges attached to both sides of the spool body to achieve the complete automation in the start of winding.
Thereupon, since the spools for winding the tape-like articles are expendables, the cost of the spools should be reduced as much as possible. However, since the spool comprises a hollow cylindrical body having an elongate opening defined in its peripheral wall to assure the suction force of the hollow body or the projection and retraction of locking needles, the spool which is generally used and is inexpensive cannot be used due to the necessity of unique structure described above, so that the cost increases.
According to the feed mechanism for feeding the flexible tape-like article to the winding spool in the automatic winding apparatus, since the mechanism intends to guide the tape-like article through the trough-like guide members onto the peripheral surface of the winding spool, it is not assured to hold surely the leading end of the tape-like article on the peripheral surface of the spool. When the leading end of the tape-like article is hung down for long distance and the winding operation is neverthless started, the tape-like articles produce ill-wound appearance and different wound lengths to reduce the commercial value when a plurality of tape-like articles are simultaneously wound. Therefore, the inspections for wound appearance .and wound lengths require the time and the labor to deteriorate its economy and productivity.